1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for forming holes. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for automatically generating holes in a structure.
2. Background
In manufacturing aircraft, various parts may be manufactured and assembled to form different structures for an aircraft. For example, without limitation, ribs, stringers, and spars may be arranged in a wing structure for a wing. Skin panels may then be placed over the structure for the wing and secured to the structure to form the wing.
In assembling spars, stringers, and ribs together to form the wing structure, holes may be drilled through the different parts, and fasteners may be secured in the holes to connect and/or attach the parts to each other. When skin panels are attached to the wing structure, thousands of holes may be drilled in the skin panels and/or portions of the wing structure. Fasteners may then be installed to attach the skin panels to the wing structure.
Drilling holes in an aircraft structure in final assembly may be considered a critical path process. For example, without limitation, the placement, size, orientation, and other factors for these holes may be important in insuring that the different parts can be secured within desired tolerances.
Currently available methods for drilling holes in the final assembly of an aircraft structure may involve multiple aircraft mechanics. The aircraft mechanics may be positioned in difficult to access areas around and/or in the structure to drill the holes using handheld power tools. This type of process may be tedious, exacting, and/or time consuming.
Further, current methods also may employ automated drilling systems. These drilling systems may be designed with mass and/or rigid foundation to react to forces created by the drilling process and may be difficult to position. In other words, the positioning of a spindle in an automated drilling system in the X, Y, and Z vector orientations for drilling may be difficult to perform in the assembly of the aircraft.
Further, the large size of the automated drilling machines and their movements may prevent aircraft mechanics from entering the area in and/or around which these machines are located to perform other tasks, while the automated drilling machine is in use. As a result, other tasks may be delayed until the drilling operations have been completed for a particular area.
Further, most holes drilled in the structure may be drilled in strips of several rows or pattern, that are not wide, but very long in length. These holes may be used to install fasteners and splice pieces of the aircraft together. Any automation must, at minimum, be able to traverse the width and length of a splice.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.